Buckle.



H. W. FALSTROM.

BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1910.

1,004,248. Patented Sept. 2 6, 1911.

HENRY W. FALS'IROM, F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

Application filed November 28, 1910. Serial No. 594,437.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY WV. FALsTRoM, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improvement in buckles, the object being to provide a simple and efficient device of this character that is adapted to firmly clamp a strap, belt or similar element.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide a buckle, so constructed, that the strap or the like can readily be slipped or drawn into the buckle sidewise and bound therein without any independent locking operation; a further object being to provide a buckle having a clamping or binding member so disposed as to engage the under surface of a strap, whereby the outer surface or face thereof will not be marred.

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail, the novel features of which I will finally claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View plied to a suspender, the strap thereof being shown in section and the tab in elevation; Fig. 2 is a sectional top plan view, the section being taken on a line aa in Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a side View of my improved buckle, looking from the right in Flg. 4; Fig. 4 is an end View looking from the left in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the clamping element which forms part of my invention; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the manner of applying the buckle to a strap; Fig. 7 is a side view of a modified form of buckle; and Fig. 8 is a bottom plan View thereof.

Referring to the drawing, my improved buckle comprises a jaw member 1 consisting of a top plate 2, a slotted bottom plate 3 and a wall 4, which connects the top and bottom plates. The jaw member 1 is preferably an integral structure formed from a blank.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the bottom plate 3 is slotted, as at 5 and 6,

adjacent each end thereof. The slots 5 and 6 are intended to adapt the buckle for securement to an end of a strap as shown in of my improved buckle illustrated as ap- Fig. 1. Intermediate the slots 5 and 6 the bottom plate 3 is provided with an opening 7 through which the clamping or blnding member 8 passes. The rear end of the member 8 is turned upwardly as at 9, the said upturned end of the member 8 being rearwardly directed as at 10, whereby a stop is provided for preventing the dropping out of the clamping member 8. The forward end of the member 8 is provided with teeth 11 which are adapted to engage or slightly penetrate the under surface 12 of a strap 13 (see Fig. 1). By referring to Figs. 2, 4 and 5 it will be seen that the member 8 is pro vided, adjacent the forward end, with a downwardly inclined wing 14. which is provided for the purpose of guiding a strap over the teeth 11.

To position a strap in the jaw-member 1, the said member 1 is passed over the strap, or rather slipped thereon in a manner indicated by Fig. 6, the corner 15 of the said member being the one first presented.

As can be seen in Figs. 3 and 4 the top plate 2 is provided with a downwardly inclined tapering flange 16, which acts to prevent the buckle from slipping from the strap, when said strap has been positioned therein.

l/Vhen slipping the buckle on to a strap the wing 14 will contact with the adjacent edge of the strap, whereby the said strap will be directed over the teeth during the operation of slipping the buckle on. It will be obvious that the strap passes through the mouth 17 or the jaw-member inorder to be positioned therein.

The clamping member 8 is not rigidly supported by the bottom plate 3, but is adapted for a slight longitudinal sliding movement thereon, whereby the said member is adapted to cramp or force the strap against the under surface of the top plate 2, should any strain, which would tend to cause the buckle to slip, be imposed on the buckle. For instance, should a strain be imposed on the buckle, in the direction of the lower arrow, in Fig. 1, the clamping member 8 would move slightly backwardly and upwardly at the forward end, which movement would cause the teeth 11 to penetrate the adjacent surface of the strap, thereby preventing further movement of the buckle. The buckle may be loosened for the purpose of taking up the strap, by sliding or drawing it in the direction of the arrow 18 (Fig. 1) or it may be removed from the strap and slipped on again lower down.

My improved buckle is normally adapted for removal from a strap by sliding it sidewise therefrom; it is likewise applied to a strap.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate another form of my improved buckle. The only difference existing between the form of buckle illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 and the form illustrated in Fig. 1 is the manner of securing same to the end of a strap. In the form of buckle illustrated in Fig. 1, the end of a F strap is passed through the slot 5 and secured to the bar 19 at one end of the plate 2. By this means the metal is prevented from contacting with the flesh or a garment. The buckle as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 is intended for use in connection with a leather strap. To secure this form of buckle to a strap, I provide the under plate with fingers 20 integral therewith, which are passed through openings in the strap.

After passing the fingers through the openings in the strap the fingers are bent over a clamping member carried by the lower plate and passing through said opening, the said clamping member being provided with an upturned end passing through said slot, the said upturned end of the clamping member being rearwardly directed to retain the same in place, said buckle having an open side, and a wing on the forward end of the clamping member adjacent said open side and inclined toward said open side.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 26th day of November, 1910.

HENRY W. FALSTROM. Witnesses:

EDWARD A. JARvIs ESTELLE O. HAMBURGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eaeh," by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

